Congressman Black Says GOP Health Care Plan Won’t Kick Anyone Off Their Current Coverage

Congressman Diane Black says the Republicans’ new plan to replace Obamacare puts healthcare decisions back where they belong, in the hands of patients.

The registered nurse and chair of the House Budget Committee spoke officially about the American Health Care Act for the first time Friday, after refusing to comment while in Tennessee earlier in the week. She now says the bill secures key conservative victories and protects the most vulnerable Americans.

“It zeroes out the mandate, it repeals the taxes, it repeals the subsidies and it rolls back some of the regulations,” Black said. “And if you want to repeal Obamacare, this bill does it.”

If you want to repeal Obamacare, this is the way to do it. My remarks from earlier today on the
#AHCA:
pic.twitter.com/SyhMgsHzrW— Diane Black (@RepDianeBlack)
March 10, 2017

Opponents of the bill have said that it will cause millions to lose their coverage. But according to the Gallatin Republican, provisions have been added that “ensure that no Americans are thrown off their current insurance plans.”

But the state’s largest hospital group is not as optimistic. On Friday, the Tennessee Hospital Association joined a growing chorus of industry organizations to come out against the new plan.

According to the head of the THA, state hospitals spend about $2 billion a year providing healthcare to the uninsured. He says cuts to federal subsidies, along with other measures, present a “dark forecast” for hospitals in Tennessee, especially rural and “safety net” facilities.